Obituaries

Donald W. Rogers Sr.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Sept. 28, in Boulder for Donald W. Rogers Sr., 85, who passed away Friday at the Sublette Center.

Don was born to Ralph and Mae (Cline) Rogers Oct. 5, 1920, in Wheatland. He worked for ranches around Cheyenne, Wheatland and Chugwater. He was 18 when he caught a freight train from Cheyenne to Rock Springs, working for Loziers, the Dew brothers and many other ranches in Sublette County. He served his country with the U.S. Army in the European theatre during World War II.

Don ranched in the Kendall Valley and in Boulder. He delivered mail with dog team and snowplane, fed elk for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, built fences and trails for the U.S. Forest Service and worked for the Wyoming Highway Department for 16 years to supplement the ranch income.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting and rodeos.

He married Christina Ohlemacher. To this union was born one daughter, Leona. They divorced. He married Nellie Dew and her daughter, Nelda, on June 29, 1942, in Pinedale. To this union was born four children: Don Jr., Roxanna, Jim and Linda.

He is survived by his sister, Betty Jean of Blackwater, Mo; his children: Nelda of Hiawatha, Iowa, Leona (Tom) of Colorado Springs, Colo., Don (Carol) of Boulder, Roxanna of Pinedale, Jim (Gay) of Laramie; Linda (Doug) of Morton; 17 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nellie; his parents, Ralph and Mae Rogers; and his brother, Robert.

Mary “Darlene” Bly

Darlene Bly, 63, of Pinedale, daughter of Eunice Miller of White River, Colo., died Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006, in Houston, Texas.

A native of Garden City, Kan., she was born on March 28, 1943. She attended high school in Dragerton, Utah, and graduated from East Carbon High School in Price, Utah, in 1960.

She married Elmer “Sonny” Bly in 1962. They had two daughters: LaDawn Kaye and Stacey Lynn. They moved to Rock Springs in 1970.

Darlene worked at JC Penney and was later one of the first female drivers for UPS. She was a partner in Jublin Shoes and Model Boot and Leather prior to moving to Pinedale in 1986. She was a house painter in Pinedale. Even though her family didn’t live in Pinedale, she stayed because of the many close friendships she developed over the years.

She was an avid softball player and the pitcher for the Downtown Merchants Association women’s team. The team qualified for State and Regional tournaments several times. After moving to Pinedale, she took up bowling and bowled in Pinedale and Rock Springs leagues up until her death.

Other interests included traveling, visiting friends and family, gambling, being with her only grandson, Taylor, and arguing with her dog, Chauncey. She enjoyed being around people and had many friends both in Rock Springs and Pinedale.

She was a member of Pinedale’s VFW Post 4801 Ladies Auxiliary, the Rock Springs American Legion Auxiliary, and the Rock Springs Eagles Ladies Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer; her father, Harold Hall; her stepfather, Harold Miller; and her brother, Harold “Guy” Hall.

Survivors include her mother, Eunice Miller; two daughters and sons-in-law: LaDawn Bly and Ben Kidd of Houston, and Stacey and Mike Court of Rock Springs; one grandson, Taylor Court; two sisters: Dorothy Chase and Ronda Miller; and one brother, Melvin Miller.

Memorial services and a celebration of life will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at the VFW post in Pinedale.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests you make a deposit at your local blood bank. Darlene was fortunate enough to have been treated at a major trauma center, but even so, complications from her surgery almost depleted the blood bank.

Doris E. Skinner

Lander resident Doris E. Skinner, 74, passed away in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, 2006, at the Lander Valley Medical Center after a lengthy illness. At her wishes, Doris has been cremated and there will be a memorial service held at a later date.

Doris Elaine Skinner was born in Greybull on Feb. 15, 1932, to E.F. “Red” Carnell and Millicent “Millie” Carnell.  Doris grew up in Lewistown, Mont., and graduated from Fergus County High School.  After high school she worked at the Lewistown News Argus newspaper for a few years and relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she became a stewardess for Western Airlines. 

After flying for a few years she met Robert “Bob” Skinner and the couple later married in Jackson in 1956. Bob and Doris moved to Pinedale that year and helped start Skinner Brothers Wilderness School and Outfitting, which operated until it was sold in 2004. Doris helped with bookkeeping and correspondence for many of the early years of the business. The couple lived in Pinedale during the summer camp and fall hunting seasons and would move to Sun Valley, Idaho, in the winter to teach skiing. During that time they had three children. 

Doris also worked for many years at Pinedale’s Sublette County Library as a librarian and was very active in various church activities in Pinedale and around Wyoming. 

Bob and Doris moved to Lander five years ago when her health required her to be closer to her doctors and medical facilities.

She is survived by her husband, Bob, of Lander; children Orion Skinner of Parker, Colo., Todd Skinner of Lander, Holly Skinner of Midvale, Utah; grandchildren Rebecca, Alyssa, Robert, Hannah, Sarah and Jacob. 

Survivors also include her siblings Jacqueline Myers of Billings, Mont., Kay Anderson of Lewistown and Tom Carnell of Colorado Springs, Colo.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorial donations may be made to the Christian Children’s Fund, in care of Hudson’s Funeral Home, 680 Mount Hope Drive, Lander, Wyo., 82520.